After I felt the metal hit my stomach, it hit again for a second time, I would have cried except I'm in a rumble. Then I felt someone knock the guy to the ground and beat the shit out of him. I started to fade into darkness but I resisted. Not now that I just got out of the hospital. I want to be in the rumble. I didn't see my rescuers face but I saw my rescuer get slashed on both cheeks by the Soc's switchblade.

I was bleeding like a stuck pig. My stomache was bleeding so bad but I wasn't going to let that stop me. A Soc was beating Johnny pretty badly so I poked him in the shoulder. When he looked up at me to see who was poking him, I hit him really hard in the jaw. Then I kicked him in the stomache with my good foot. I punched him a few times in the stomache before he took my hair and threw me over his head.

Johnny was on the ground panting hard, trying to regain his breath. The Soc saw that I was bleeding and kicked and punched me many times in the stomache. You should have heard the screams that were coming from my mouth, they could have woke the dead. Obviously Johnny heard them because he immediately got up and pulled the Soc off of me growling. While Johnny was beating up the Soc I could here him repeatedly saying, "Don't you ever touch her, don't you ever touch her ever again, do you hear me never again."

I couldn't believe it by the time Johnny knocked out the Soc and I mean REALY knocked out the Soc, the Socs were running away.

After the Soc was knocked out Johnny ran to me. He brushed the hair back from my face and kissed me hard on the lips. It felt so good to kiss him again. To be with the guy I love again.

It took him a while to realize that I was bleeding but when he did he growled and showed an expression of anger, love, and fear on his face. He kissed me on the forehead and went to get Dally. I really couldn't get up, I mean it was hard before but now it was impossible.

When Dally saw me he scowled, checked the wound, and then picked me up bridal style. He took me to Darry and boy was Darry mad. I was practically dead and Darry started yelling at me for even being there. I love Dally I really do but as a brother. He told Darry off and said that Darry should leave me alone. Dally told Darry that it was all his fault and that he was the one that let me come.

I guess I'm making another trip to the hospital, damn hospital. I finally let myself fade into darkness after that.

The next time I woke up, I was on the Curtis's couch surprisingly. I looked over at Darry's chair and saw Dally.

"Hey sleeping beauty, finally awake," he said sitting up in the chair.

"What do you mean, finally?" I asked trying to sit up but I failed and slouched back down on the couch.

"I mean you've been sleeping for four days, beautiful."

"Wow, four days is a long time and I'm glad that you've stopped calling me kid."

"Whatever, kid."

"Why can't you just call me beautiful, I like that one it gives me confidence?"

"Confidence, why the hell do you need confidence for anyway, I mean your fricken beautiful to begin with."

"Aw Dally that's sweet but cut it out with that 'kid' stuff."

"Hell no that's my nickname for you and I'll stay here all morning arguing about it if I have to."

"Well I see someone's not lacking confidence."

"Look kid, your not going to get anywhere with this 'kid' thing so I'd quit while I was ahead if I were you," he said emphasizing kid when he said it.

"Well then it's a good thing your not me."

"Look kid if you weren't a cripple, I'd kill you where your standing."

"Well then it's a good thing I'm sitting."

"I've had just about enough with your smart ass act."

"Good old Dally acting like you did when you first met me, hey can you do me a favor and not bash my head in."

"I'll have to think about it."

"Dally!"

"What are you two arguing about now?" Ponyboy, said coming through the door with Maggie on his arm and Johnny right next to him.

"He keeps calling me kid and he won't stop." I said whining.

"I don't think your going to get anywhere, Lace, he seems pretty set on what he wants to call you," Maggie said sitting down on the folding chair by the couch.

"Don't remind me." I said sending a glare at Dally. Johnny came over and gave me a kiss on the lips. I could see Dally flinch and look away.

"Hey Lacey can I talk to you alone for a second," Maggie said to me.

"Kind of hard Maggs cause um I can't move," I said.

"Sorry forgot about that, hey can you guys give us a minute," she said to all the guys. Both Ponyboy and Johnny said sure and then left the house but Dally refused budge.

"Oh cmon Dally," I said.

"I won't listen you girls go right ahead."

I knew he wouldn't leave so I looked at Maggie giving her a give-dally-a-fake-story-so-he'll-leave-us-alone look. Who knew so much could be said in one look.

"Alright well, lately Lacey, I've been having these cramps and I think I'm getting my period, what should I do?" Maggie said and then looked up at Dally.

"Oh, I'm so out of here," Dally said then left.

We both laughed and then I said, "Alright what's up?"

"I've made my choice I'm in love with Ponyboy."

"Oh, my god that is so great, but what about Sodapop."

"He knows we can't be together and Ponyboy knows, he forgave me, can you believe it? After a lot and I mean A LOT of begging from me, he forgave me."

"Oh hon that's great."

"Alright boys we know your directly outside you can come in now," Maggie said and sure enough they all came right in. All of them, Ponyboy, Johnny, Dally, Two- Bit, Soda, Steve, Darry and even Tim Shepard.

"Hey how you feeling?" Darry said when he came in.

"Well I can't feel my stomach or the lower half of my body but that's okay."

Soda and Steve went straight to yelling at each other and arm wrestling. Two- Bit walked in, sat on the floor, turned on the tv, and watched Mickey Mouse. Ponyboy and Johnny sat down next to Two- Bit. Tim Shepard sat on the arm of the couch and Dally sat on Darry's chair. Darry went to the kitchen and started eating dinner. I still didn't like Tim Shepard being there after what happened at Buck's but then I got a good look at his face. He had a slash on either side of his cheek.

I couldn't believe it Tim Shepard was the one that saved me.

"Hey, thanks Tim," I said looking up at him.

"For what?" he asked looking at me like I was crazy

"Have you looked in the mirror lately, you looked like you got slashed on your cheeks by a Soc trying to save me."

"How did you?" he said but I cut him off.

"I may have gotten gotten slashed on the stomach, but I still had my eyes."

"No problem kid, no problem." He said looking back at the tv.

Well this was my family and they all loved me. Dally and Johnny literally but everyone else as brothers. They all would give their lives for me even Tim Shepard.

I love my life. I just hope my past or future in this case doesn't come back to bite me in the ass.